


Roomies for Life

by messandahalf



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Jealous Arthur, Lack of Communication, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Language, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Pining Merlin (Merlin), Uther Pendragon's A+ Parenting (Merlin), idiots to lovers, oblivious idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:41:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29663979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/messandahalf/pseuds/messandahalf
Summary: Arthur only had one rule for the people renting his spare room, and one rule only: not to fall in love with him. He never thought he’d break that rule himself.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 148





	Roomies for Life

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Merthur remix of my Destiel fic of the same name. I read it over and decided it could work for these two beautiful idiots too, and well, here we are lol.

Living close to the university, Arthur had been through many roommates. First, it had been his sister, but after Morgana had moved out to live with her boyfriend, Leon, Arthur had decided to rent out the spare room. It seemed like every semester he had someone new bringing their stuff into the small room. Men and women both jumped at the chance to live close to campus without having to pay an arm and a leg to do so. He only had one rule: _“Do not fall in love with me”_. Every single one obeyed that rule, and he in turn avoided them. That is, until he couldn’t.

Merlin was already in the kitchen, sitting at the table and nursing a mug of coffee, when Arthur staggered in. He grunted a greeting as he passed behind him on his way to the coffee machine. Merlin merely raised a silent eyebrow in reply. Neither man was particularly a morning person, but today was worse then usual. Their mutual friend Gwen had informed Arthur of a party that was happening off campus the night before, and Merlin had drug Arthur out with him to _“live a little”_. They had both ended up supremely drunk, and Arthur can honestly only remember half the night. He barely remembers stumbling home in the early hours of the morning, arm slung over Merlin’s shoulders in an attempt to keep them both upright. Needless to say, the hangover was kicking them both in the arse this morning.

With a heavy sigh, Arthur sinks down into the seat next to Merlin at the table, his own mug of coffee clutched tightly in hand. His roommate glances over and wrinkles his nose at the absence of either cream or sugar accompanying the black brew in his mug. Arthur feels a smirk tug at his lips as he raises the mug to his mouth and takes a cautious sip. The hot liquid burns his tongue slightly, but he closes his eyes and hums in satisfaction anyway. Merlin looks away in mock disgust and continues to drink his own coffee in silence.

Arthur finishes his coffee first, and pushes away from the table to get to his feet. He closes his eyes and stretches his arms up above his head, rolling his head side to side to stretch out his neck. He misses the way Merlin’s eyes roam over the couple inches of skin revealed as his shirt slides up his stomach. Merlin hurriedly looks away, faint blush tinting his cheeks pink, as Arthur reopens his eyes and whisks his empty mug off the table. Depositing it in the sink, he turns to look at the back of his tousled-haired roommate’s head.

“You want breakfast? I can whip up some eggs and bacon. Maybe even some pancakes if you ask nicely.” Merlin perks up at the mention of food, and turns to face Arthur with hopeful eyes, and his first smile of the morning gracing the corners of his mouth. Arthur practically melts at the sight, but tries his best to hide that fact from his roommate. The truth is, he had been harbouring a crush on his new roommate ever since Merlin had moved in two months ago.

“Breakfast would be much appreciated, Arthur. Thank you.” He replies earnestly, blue eyes locking with Arthur’s own across the small space between them.

“Okay then.” Arthur nods and turns back to face the stove. He busies himself with pulling out the eggs and bacon from the fridge, and the big bowl for mixing the pancake batter. When he turns back to the fridge to grab the milk, he nearly bumps into Merlin, who is standing right beside him, milk in hand. He jumps violently, steadying himself on the edge of the counter.

“I told you not to do that.” He gripes, accepting the milk into his own hands as Merlin hands it over.

“Sorry. I forget sometimes that when you start cooking you zone out all other noises and distractions. I’ll announce my presence better next time.” The man replies, tone only slightly sarcastic. Not for the first time, Arthur blushes at Merlin’s rather astute observation of his habits.

“Uhm, thanks.” He replies awkwardly, praying that Merlin doesn’t notice the red flush starting to creep up from under the collar of his shirt.

“Would you like help?” Merlin inquires. “I feel bad always having you cook meals for the both of us by yourself.”

Arthur feels his cheeks start to redden now. He never cooked anything for his previous roommates, except for Morgana, but she doesn’t really count. He only started to prepare meals for Merlin because he wanted to spend more time with him, get to know him better. The man was an enigma, wrapped up in a mystery, with a little bow of intrigue tying it all up. For better or worse, Arthur was fascinated and a little bit smitten. Against his better judgement, Arthur feels himself smile.

“Sure. You want to mix all the dry ingredients together?” He offers, pulling them from their various cupboards and handing Merlin the measuring cups and spoons. Merlin takes them happily, measuring out all the exact amounts from memory. This whole process had become a bit of a self destructive routine for the both of them.

They work in companionable silence, stepping around one another but slowly encroaching on each other’s space. By the time Merlin has the first batch of pancakes in the pan, the two of them are side by side, arms brushing with alarming regularity. Arthur can feel his skin buzz and prickle at Merlin’s close proximity, but does his best to push the feeling away. He’s not about to break his own rule.

Merlin flips the pancakes expertly, and Arthur smiles. His roommate has come a long way since moving in. Arthur never even used to trust him to boil water, let alone help him with breakfast. The thought makes his betraying heart flutter.

Just when Arthur thinks he might actually explode, the bacon and eggs finish cooking. Relief floods his body as he clicks off the stove top element and transfers their food onto the awaiting plates. Moments later, Merlin piles on a couple pancakes each and switches off the stove. He leaves the remaining batter on the counter in case either of them want more.

“Thanks, Roomie.” Arthur jokes, jostling Merlin with his elbow as he retrieves his fully laden plate from the counter. A frown flickers momentarily across Merlin’s face before shifting into a taut smile. Arthur frowns back in confusion, but Merlin is already making his way to the table. He ignores Arthur as he scoops up his mug and goes to refill it. Without asking, he pulls Arthur’s mug from the sink and refills it too. Arthur mumbles a _‘thanks’_ under his breath as Merlin sets the mug down beside his plate. Much to Arthur’s surprise, Merlin shifts his breakfast down the table to sit across from Arthur instead of beside him where he usually sits. The blond does his best to ignore the painful jolt in his chest at the move.

Silence reigns over them as they eat, but it’s not the comfortable kind that they usually share. This one is oppressive and heavy with something that Arthur can’t quite place or put a name to. He shoots Merlin furtive glances across the table, but seems unable to think of some way to break the silence around them. Merlin, in turn, makes no attempts either.

Finally, in a last ditch panic as Merlin cleans his plate and prepares to leave the table, Arthur opens his mouth. “What are you up to today?” He asks in a rushed attempt to stall his friend. “I was thinking of marathoning something on Netflix. You wanna join?” He looks hopefully up into Merlin’s face, but that hope hits a brick wall at the look currently gracing the other man’s features.

“I have plans with Gwaine.” Merlin says monotonously. Arthur feels his stomach drop as he struggles to keep his face from screwing up in disgust. He doesn’t necessarily dislike Gwaine. He just dislikes the guy’s closeness with Merlin. The two of them have been friends for almost their whole lives, and it shows whenever the two of them are together. They share a physical closeness as well as a mental bond that Merlin just doesn’t share with Arthur. If he was going to be completely honest, Arthur would admit to being jealous.

“Oh, okay. No worries. Another time, then.” He says emotionlessly. Merlin squints his eyes as he studies Arthur’s face, making Arthur squirm in his seat.

“Of course.” Merlin replies before taking his dishes to the sink. He’s about to run water to wash them when Arthur speaks up again.

“I can do that. You go on ahead. My plans aren’t exactly waiting on me.” Merlin turns to look at him, mouth open in protest, but Arthur waves him off as he gets to his feet. “I mean it. Get outta here. I don’t mind cleaning up.” He gives the other man a small smile, doing his best to keep any shred of his lingering sadness from crossing his features. Merlin seems to deliberate the decision for a moment before relenting.

“Thank you, Arthur.” He says softly before seemingly reluctantly leaving the room. Once he’s alone, Arthur moves to the sink and places his dishes in alongside Merlin’s. He runs hot water in after plugging the drain, and pumps some soap in. He braces himself on the counter and hangs his head, forcing himself to take a few deep breaths as the sink fills up.

“You’re an idiot, Pendragon.” He scolds himself before shutting off the water and piling in the dishes used to make breakfast. He slowly washes them, trying in vain to keep his mind off of his roommate, and what he could possibly be doing with Gwaine. He’s had his suspicions ever since meeting the other man that he and Merlin were together. He never outright voiced these thoughts, but Gwaine never did anything to help ease them. Always touching Merlin’s shoulder, or playing with his hair, or sitting so close that they’re practically taking up the same space. The wooden spoon in Arthur’s hand groans in protest, and he quickly loosens his grip on it before it can snap in half. He _really_ needs to get it together.

He hurries through the rest of the dishes, drying a few to empty out the drying rack a little, then moves into the living room to commence his plans for the day. He slumps onto the sofa, grabbing the remotes from the coffee table to turn on the entertainment system in his flat. He tries his hardest to stop his mind from wandering as everything boots up. At long last, he’s able to switch over to Netflix and scroll through his options. Despite Merlin’s wishes to wait for him, he starts _The Witcher._

~~~

It’s nearing 4:30 when Merlin finally comes home. Arthur receives a reproachful look from the dark haired man once he notices what Arthur is watching. He stands at the end of the sofa and watches what’s happening on the screen with dull eyes.

“How many episodes have you watched?” He finally asks as the first credits appear on the screen. Arthur pauses the tv and looks up at Merlin with a look of defiance, but also a little bit of bashfulness.

“Five.” He replies, ducking his head as Merlin scowls slightly.

“I thought we agreed to watch it together?” Merlin intones grumpily. Arthur winces despite himself.

“I know, but there was nothing else interesting to watch. I tried to find something else, I promise.” He explains. He starts to wonder why he’s trying to justify himself to the guy that he’s kind of in love with who was probably off screwing his childhood best friend. A flare of anger unfurls in his chest, and he sets his jaw stubbornly.

“I’m sure there was something else you could’ve entertained yourself with until I got back.” Merlin sasses.

“Well, how was I supposed to know how long you’d be out with your boyfriend? I’m not a bloody mind reader, _Mer_ lin.” Arthur shoots back heatedly. He gains a small amount of pleasure at the shocked look on his friend’s face.

 _‘Yeah, that’s right. I’ve got you now. Now you know that I know about you and Gwaine.’_ He thinks savagely. Merlin’s face clouds over, his usually bright blue eyes turning a stormy grey.

“I can assure you that Gwaine and I are not together. We never have been, and we never will be. Despite being an overly sexual person, I am not exactly his type.” He replies tightly, a hint of a snarl underlying his words that Arthur finds way more attractive than he should. Still, he’s not ready to back down yet.

“Could’ve fooled me.” Arthur mutters, having every intention of having Merlin hear every word. The man doesn’t disappoint him, and his words earn him a formidable glare.

“I don’t know what you’re problem is today, but I’m not playing this game with you. You’ve never cared about my relationship with Gwaine before, I don’t know why you would start now. Watch whatever you want, and text me when you’re done being a child. I’ll be at Gwen’s.” With that, he turns and stalks off down the hallway to his room.

Moments later, he reappears with a fully packed bag and marches right past Arthur and out the door. The blond remains frozen in shock, only jolting out of it as the door bangs shut and he hears a key turning the lock back into place.

“Bugger.” Arthur groans aloud as he reaches up to scrub furiously at his face. Once again, his one and only talent of screwing things up has been gloriously put to good use. He sighs wearily and leans back against the sofa cushions. Lolling his head back, he stares up forlornly at the ceiling, eyes tracing the small crack forming that Morgana had told him to get looked at almost a full year ago.

It doesn’t take long for his phone to _ping_ in his pocket. Fishing it out, he pulls up the new message from Gwen. No surprise there.

**_From: Gwen, 5:01 PM_ **  
_What did you do to Merlin, Pendragon?_

Arthur stares at the screen, trying to think of a way to reply that doesn’t make him look too much like a complete arse. Before he gets the chance, it pings in his hand again.

**_From: Gwen, 5:02 PM_ **  
_He is practically in tears. The only reason I’m not there right now demanding answers is because he begged me not to._

Arthur frowns and bites his lower lip in uncertainty. He has no idea what to say to that. He starts out several replies, but deletes all of them. Finally, out of frustration, he slams his phone down and storms into the kitchen. He opens each cupboard and searches through the contents, muttering curses under his breath, until he finds what he’s looking for. His nearly full bottle of expensive bourbon. Unscrewing the lid, he lifts the bottle to his lips and takes a long pull from the bottle. He takes a deep breath before repeating the action again. With grim determination, he returns to the living room, bottle safely in hand. He’s no closer to a reply when he gets there. His heart sinks as he picks up his phone and sees yet another new text from Lance.

**_From: Gwen, 5:10 PM_ **  
_Arthur you better answer me right now before I leave Merlin here alone with his Ben & Jerry’s and come get some answers in person._

“Damn it.” Arthur grumbles, taking another long drink from his bottle. He had conveniently forgotten just how overprotective Gwen could be of Merlin at times. Again, they seemed so much closer than he and Merlin could ever possibly be. Especially now, after being such an arse to the other man. Setting the bottle carefully on the coffee table, Arthur attempts a reply.

**_To: Gwen, 5:11 PM_ **  
_I didn’t mean to make him upset. He went out that that Irish prick all day and I may have started a Netflix series without him and then accused him of dating said Irish prick._

He presses send and holds his breath. While waiting for a reply, he takes several more large gulps of bourbon. It settles hotly and heavily in his stomach. His chest tightens as he gets a reply.

**_From: Gwen, 5:13 PM_ **  
_You are a stupid ass, Arthur Pendragon, but I’m not getting into that right now. Merlin is staying here for the night but you are to apologize to him in person tomorrow._

Confusion fogs Arthur’s brain as he reads over Gwen’s text several times. He has no idea what the usually calm brunette was implying in that message. As he ponders Gwen’s words, the last look of hurt that had crossed Merlin’s face reappears in his head, and it’s like a knife to the gut. He never wanted or intended to be the reason behind Merlin ever looking like that. He’s surprised when his vision suddenly gets blurry with tears. Blinking them away angrily, he takes another drink, letting it sit and burn on his tongue for a moment before swallowing it down.

 _‘Get over it, Arthur.’_ He tells himself. _‘You have a rule never to get involved with your roommates for a reason. Get your crap together and move past this.’_ Carelessly, he flicks the tv back on and starts up the next episode of The Witcher. He pays as much attention as he can, ingesting more alcohol that is strictly healthy. Pretty soon, his vision is starting to swim and the tv screen is too blurry to properly focus on. Clumsily, he turns the tv and Xbox One off, intent on merely going to bed. Instead, as he looks over his phone screen for the time, he suddenly gets the idea to tell someone about his feelings for a certain dark haired, blue eyed man. He fumbles his phone open and pulls up his conversation with Gwen.

**_To: Gwen, 6:47 PM_ **  
_Okay fine you got me. I broke my own rule. I am madly head over heels in love with Merlin and I’ve only known the idiot for just over two months. I’m a pathetic piece of crap who doesn’t deserve him and if he knew what was good for him he’d move out now and stay as far away from me as possible. Cause I’m poison. I wreck everything I touch and I refuse to wreck him. Maybe he could stay with you instead?_

He reads over his text as best he can and hits send. His heart immediately launches into his throat, and he turns his phone off and drops it onto the coffee table like its burned him. Now that he thinks it over, he realizes what a colossally stupid idea it was. His stomach starts churning threateningly, and he stumbles to his feet and barely makes it down the hall to the bathroom before he feels the bile rise up his throat. He makes it as far as the sink before his stomach betrays him and he pukes up his breakfast and snacks from earlier.

“Son of a bitch.” He groans as he hunches over the basin, breathing through his mouth so he doesn’t have to smell his own vomit. He gags again as he starts to clean up the sink, but thankfully keeps whatever is left in his stomach down. After rinsing his mouth out with mouthwash, he leaves the bathroom and pauses in the hallway. It’s barely seven o’clock, so way too early to go to bed like he wants to. Still, he doesn’t think he can handle any more tv today, and his phone is now strictly off limits. He doesn’t want to see what Gwen has to say to him.

At that moment, his ringtone sounds out, filling the whole apartment with the stupid Doctor Who theme that Merlin has programmed into his phone as a joke. His heart lurches in his chest, and he thinks he might be sick again. He thought he had turned it off!

Still, he hesitantly makes his way back to the living room. He approaches his still ringing phone like it’s a wild animal that could attack him at any moment. By the time he reaches the device, the call goes to voicemail. He half expects it to immediately start ringing again, but thankfully it remains silent. However, he still picks it up gingerly, heart hammering in his chest and thundering up into his skull, giving him a headache. There are eight new texts, all from Gwen. He reads what he can of the latest one from the notification on his phone.

**_From: Gwen, 7:03 PM_ **  
_It’s about time, you idiot! The rest of us have known for the past two months! You need to talk to Merlin cause he..._

He can’t bring himself to open it to read the rest. He can’t take it. Instead, he swipes the notifications away and ignores them. Switching his phone to silent, clearly he can’t manage to properly turn it off, he leaves it on the coffee table and slinks away to his room. Once safely inside, with the door firmly locked, Arthur finally allows himself to panic. His whole body starts to tremble like a leaf in a hurricane, and he sinks down onto the floor with his back to his bed. He is so totally and irreparably screwed beyond imagination.

~~~

Tears of frustration well up in Merlin’s eyes as the door closes with finality behind him. He dutifully locks it, then turns and makes his way down the hall to the stairs. Why did he have to go and fall for the one person that was off limits? When he had first met Arthur, he hadn't thought it would be a big deal. Honestly, who introduces themselves like, _"Hi, I'm Arthur Pendragon. Under no circumstances are you allowed to fall in love with me."_? However, the more time they spent together, and the more Merlin got to know Arthur, the real Arthur, the more he knew he was in trouble.

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and pulls up his contacts. He scrolls down until he sees Gwen and then hits calls. It rings twice before he answers.

_"Hey, Merlin. How are you doing today? You had quite a bit to drink last night."_

Merlin feels himself smile involuntarily, despite how rotten he currently felt. “Hey, Gwen. I’m doing not too bad. You?" He replies, stalling the inevitable conversation.

_"Yeah, I’m alright. Me and Lance were pretty tame compared to you and Arthur. What's up?"_

Merlin frowns as he tries to figure out how best to go about this. “I need a place to stay until tomorrow." He says bluntly. Nothing like ripping the bandaid off.

 _"What? Why?"_ Gwen’s shocked voice comes down the line.

"Arthur and I had a minor disagreement. It's not important. I just can't be around him right now." Merlin is surprised at how his throat is constricting with emotion.

_"Not important, my ass. The two of you have been basically attached at the hip ever since you met. What happened? What did he do?"_ Gwen demands. Merlin pushes out of the main building doors, squinting in the still bright sunlight.

"Gwen, please. I can explain in person. Can I stay with you?" Merlin asks, holding his breath as he takes the few steps down to the curb. He hails a cab as he waits for his friend to answer.

 _"Of course, Merlin. Come on over. I'll have some ice cream and rom coms ready for you."_ Gwen’s sympathetic smile radiates through the phone and Merlin smiles sadly.

He replies with a quick _'thank you'_ , then climbs into the awaiting cab. He gives the driver Gwen’s address, then sits back and waits. His mind drifts back to Arthur and a new wave of tears blurs his vision. He wipes them away as discreetly as possible, hoping that the cab driver doesn't notice. Before too long, they pull up outside a quaint two bedroom home, and Merlin climbs out. He gives the driver a handful of money and tells him to keep the change. When he turns back to the house, Gwen is waiting in the open front door.

"Hey, Merlin." She greets gently as he walks up the sidewalk to the front steps. His eyes tear up yet again and the next thing he knows, she's met him halfway and is pulling him into a tight hug. He readily hugs her back, burying his face into her shoulder as best he can.

"Thank you, Gwen." He mumbles, voice muffled against her t-shirt. She pulls back and holds his shoulders at arms length.

"Anytime, Merlin. Come on, let's get you inside." She leads him inside, and closes the door behind them. "Lance is out at work but he should be back around ten." She says as they step into the cozy living room.

As promised, _Ten Things I Hate About You_ is queued up on the tv and on the coffee table sit two containers of ice cream and two spoons. He sniffles slightly, but tries to cover it up with a cough. Gwen, however, is not fooled.

"Sit. We are gonna put this movie on, stuff our faces with ice cream, and gossip." She gestures to the couch opposite the television set up. "Now, do you need me to go on a tirade of how much Arthur can suck, cause I can if that makes you feel better." Merlin offers her a sad smile.

"No. That won't be necessary, but thank you, Gwen." He replies tiredly. He slowly sinks down on the plush couch and blindly pulls an ice cream container toward him. He takes a bite and immediately gets reminded of Arthur. Of course the damn flavour he grabbed would be _Urban Bourbon_. He quickly puts it down and grabs the other one. Peanut butter is a much safer flavour.

Gwen sits down beside him and takes the discarded flavour without comment. They eat in silence as the movie starts, but Merlin can tell that she is just dying to ask what happened. After another ten minutes, he puts her out of her misery.

"You are allowed to ask, Gwen. It won't upset me." He tells her softly, eyes fixed on his partly eaten ice cream.

"What happened, Merls? What was so bad that you had to come spend the night here?" She sets her ice cream down and curls up against the arm of the couch so that she's fully facing him. With a sigh, he sets his down too, turning to face her but keeping his eyes fixed on his pant legs.

"I'm sure it's nothing. I probably just over-reacted." He says, suddenly feeling kind of stupid.

"Just tell me everything from the beginning and I'll be the judge of how stupid or not you are." Gwen urges gently. Merlin takes a deep breath and glances up at her. His eyes quickly find his bent knees again.

"Last night, we went out to that party, as you know." He starts. She nods and gestures for him to continue. "Arthur got very drunk, to the point that he wasn't one hundred percent sure of what he was doing. I was coherent all night, for the most part, anyway, and merely pretended to be more intoxicated than I actually was for his benefit. On the way home, he kept telling me how much I mean to him, how I'm one of his closest friends despite only knowing each other for a short while. When we got to the flat, I helped him out of his boots and jacket and steadied him down the hall to his bedroom. He, uh, he kissed me on the cheek."

Gwen’s eyes widen in shock, but she doesn't interrupt. Merlin frowns down at his lap as his fingers fiddle idly together. Thinking of this morning hurts, and thinking of Arthur accusing him of sleeping with Gwaine hurts even more.

"When he woke up this morning, he didn't remember, and I didn't bring it up. It really is a nice flat and I don't want to lose it all because of his stupid rule." Gwen rolls her eyes. Merlin smiles slightly before continuing.

“Things seemed back to normal. We made breakfast together, like we do most mornings, but then things seemed to change. The atmosphere in the room got colder. I think that was my fault. He called me _'roomie'_ and I didn't like it. He asked if I wanted to stay in and watch Netflix all day, but I just couldn't handle being that close to him all day, so I lied and said I had plans with Gwaine. I spent the day at the outdoor fountain on campus and studied." He says with a shrug. Gwen nods, silently urging him to continue.

"When I got back, I found him almost done the show we had agreed to watch together. I'm not sure why that hurt so much, but for some reason it just felt awful. He tried to justify it, then basically accused me of sleeping with Gwaine. I told him he was wrong, but he wouldn't believe me. The way he was looking at me, so accusingly... I just couldn't stay there. It hurt too much." His voice trails off near the end until he's speaking in barely a whisper. Gwen reaches over and clasps his hands in both of hers.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" She asks softly. Merlin startles and looked up to meet her gaze. He opens his mouth to deny it, but nothing comes out. Instead, he nods miserably. She crawls across the couch and pulls him back into a hug.

"What am I supposed to do, Gwen? I have never been in love before, and I go and choose the one person who is off limits?" He mumbles bitterly. Gwen snorts, making him look up questioningly.

"Arthur Pendragon is an idiot who wouldn't know love if it jumped up and bit him in the face. He came up with that dumb rule because he always wanted to keep the spare room kind of free if Morgana ever had to move back in. He figured that if he remained unattached that, that would make things easier for his baby sister. Now? I think he just uses it as a way to shield himself from potential heartbreak."

Merlin stares at her in wonder as she pushes her hair back behind her ear in mild frustration. Timidly, he asks, “What are you implying?"

Gwen looks him over seriously, and he's suddenly afraid of the answer. "Do you really want me to answer that, Merls?" She asks, throwing in his nickname to try and make him smile. It works a little, managing to tug one corner of his lips up.

"Yes." He says. "No. I think so." He adds uncertainly. "I really don't know." He finally admits, once again letting his eyes drop to his lap. Silence falls over the two of them, and Merlin is suddenly aware of the movie that has continued to play in the background during their conversation.

"I'm not saying anything until I know for sure that you want to hear it, Merlin." Gwen tells him sternly. Merlin bites his lip and lets his attention wander back to the movie for a minute or two.

"I want to know." He finally says, eyes fixed unseeingly on the television screen. Gwen screws up her face in thought and really studies the man in front of her. After a moment, she seems to decide that Merlin means what he'd said.

"I think you're in love with Arthur, and that terrifies you." She says. Merlin looks at her with a roll of his eyes.

"Yes, I just told you that. I obviously was aware of that fact." Gwen silences him with a glare.

"Let me finish." She snaps good-naturedly. Merlin snaps his mouth closed and looks meekly up at her. "As I was saying, you're in love with Arthur, but I think he's in love with you too, and is equally as scared. The day you met, he told you not to fall in love with him, and he's gone and fallen for you. His world has practically been turned upside down. Now, I'm not justifying the way he has handled it, but you have to try and see it from his side." Gwen pauses for a moment to organize her thoughts, and Merlin stares at her curiously. Eventually, she takes a deep breath and readies herself to continue.

"So, imagine you are Arthur. You're whole life, all you've done is look after your little sister. You've never pursued school or a relationship yourself because Morgana always comes first. That was the only thing his father ever taught him. Now suddenly, Morgana is gone. What are you likely to do?" Gwen looks expectantly at Merlin. He closes his eyes and tries to think.

"Personally, I would latch onto the first person that came along, to try and fill that void." He replies. Gwen nods.

"Exactly. Kind of like a rebound sister. He wants to avoid those feelings at all costs, so he tells every new roommate he gets to keep their distance, and he keeps his. The peace remains, and he doesn't have to worry about getting abandoned by someone else when they eventually don't need his spare room anymore and move out. You following me so far?" She asks. Merlin nods, eyes fixed on Gwen’s as she once again brushes her hair out of her face.

"Now, in comes you." Gwen points are Merlin. "You are different than anything and anyone he has ever met. Something about you pulls him in, and he lets himself so. He gets closer to you. Then he learns about Gwaine. You two have been friends forever, and even I thought you two were together, or at least had been at one point, when I first saw the way you acted around each other. Imagine how that thought would hit Arthur. The first person he's ever let close might potentially be involved with someone else, or still friends with his ex. If exes are still friends, they are _not just exes_. I can tell you that much from experience." Gwen rolls her eyes and chuckles. Merlin almost wants to ask, knowing that whatever the story is there, it is undoubtedly a good one, but refrains. There is time for other stories later.

"Arthur is not one to let himself get between two people. He is notorious for thinking he is never good enough, so he never even tries. Against his own rule, he has taken an interest in you, but thinks that he has no chance. Whether that's because of whatever he thinks is going on between you and Gwaine, or because he doesn't think you like him back, I don't know. Only he knows that. But I do know that boy, and I have for going on eight years, and I know when he has a crush on someone. Merlin, he is smitten with you, no doubt about it."

Silence falls over them once again as Gwen finishes. She sits back against the armrest of the couch, giving Merlin his space to sort through everything she just told him. Merlin’s brain feels like it's running a mile a minute. He doesn't even know where to begin. Does he say something to Arthur, and risk what they have, or merely take his friendship and force the both of them to move on? Does he really even have a chance? What if Gwen is wrong and he screws everything up? He really can't afford to live anywhere else.

"Whoa, hey, Merlin. Slow down. You look like your thinking so hard that you're about to pull a muscle." Gwen soothes. She rests a comforting hand on his forearm. "You don't need to decide what to do right now. I know I just gave you a lot to take in, so take some time to process, alright? The world isn't ending, and Arthur isn't going anywhere, I promise." Merlin offers her a grateful smile as her soothing words.

"Thank you, Gwen." He smiles. She returns it warmly before unfolding herself from the couch.

"Now, I could use a beer. You want one?" She asks. He looks up at her and nods, suddenly realizing how awesome a drink truly sounds in that moment. She nods and moves off to the kitchen, leaving her phone behind on the coffee table. It suddenly vibrates, lighting up with Arthur’s name. He is filled with curiosity, and glances up at the doorway to the kitchen where Gwen has disappeared. Eventually, it becomes too much, and he reaches out and scoops Gwen’s phone into his hand. He'll only read what he can off the notification on her lock screen, and that's it.

**_From: Arthur, 6:47 PM_ **  
_Okay fine you got me. I broke my own rule. I am madly head over heels in love with Merlin and I've only known..._

Merlin’s jaw drops in shock. He hears the distant sound of two bottle caps being taken off and knows he's running out of time. Quickly, he slides the phone back to where it was and sits back on the couch, trying desperately to school his face into one of ignorance. Gwen reappears and hands him a bottle with an easy grin.

"Now, let's finish this movie and go on to the next. I'm thinking _The Notebook_." She says, adding a wink on for good measure. Taking a swig of her beer, she picks up her phone and promptly starts choking on it. Merlin sits up in concern, placing his own beer on the table.

"Are you okay, Gwen?" He asks. She nods as she continues to splutter.

"Yeah, I'm alright." She replies hoarsely. She quickly unlocks her phone and starts madly typing out a reply. She continues to cough and her eyes are watering slightly, but she doesn't let it deter her. When she sends it off, she immediately starts on another. Merlin counts eight that get sent off before Gwen excuses herself.

"I just gotta take care of something quick. Just stay here and relax, I'll be right back." She says, already getting to her feet and hurrying away. Merlin watches her go, tempted to follow, but knowing that would give him away. He doesn't think Gwen would be mad at him for kind of snooping, but he does feel like he violated at least some level of privacy on both Gwen’s and Arthur’s part, and feels slightly regretful about it. When Gwen returns, she looks slightly frazzled.

"Sorry about that. Just had to make a quick phone call." She says airily, doing a very good job at hiding the fact that Arthur just admitted that he loved Merlin, and in writing where it can never be lost or forgotten no less.

"No worries. I hope it wasn't anything bad. You're reaction was quite extreme." Merlin says innocently. Gwen forces a laugh and waves him off.

"Oh, that? No, I just swallowed wrong. It's nothing really. Everything is fine." She says, this time not doing a very good job at being convincing. She must know this because she sinks back down onto the sofa and gives her undivided attention to the tv, with her beer bottle pressed firmly to her lips to prevent her from talking. Merlin stares at her shrewdly for moment before diverting his attention back to the tv as well. Gwen seems to relax once Merlin isn't watching her anymore.

Instead, Merlin looks at the tv and tries to figure out where to go from here. He now has confirmation that Arthur has feelings for him, but he isn't supposed to know. He doesn't want to get Gwen in trouble, so he can't just go up to Arthur and tell him he knows. Arthur obviously sent that text to Gwen in confidence, and he doesn't want Arthur thinking that she broke that trust. Under that same principle, he can't try and get Gwen to tell him. It wouldn't be fair.

He still doesn't know what to do when the movie ends and Gwen gets up to change the DVDs. While she's up, she goes to the kitchen and brings back a few more beers.

 _The Notebook_ is just finishing up when Lance gets home from work. Gwen immediately jumps up and pulls him into the kitchen to talk to him. Merlin knows that she's spilling everything she's learned tonight about Arthur, and about himself. Once again he's tempted to go and listen to their conversation, but knows how rude that would be. Instead, he occupies himself by pulling out his phone and texting his friend.

**_To: Arthur, 9:48 PM_ **  
_I’m sorry for how I acted earlier today. I didn’t mean to get so angry and frustrated with you. I hope we can talk tomorrow and smooth things out. You really are one of my closest friends, and I would hate to lose you over something so trivial._

He hits send and stares at his phone, desperately waiting for Arthur to reply, or at least read his message. Neither has happened when Gwen and Lance reenter the room five minutes later.

"Hi, Merlin." Lance greets with a soft smile. "I hear you've had quite the trying day." Merlin tries to smile back tiredly.

"It has been a little exhausting, yes." Merlin agrees. Lance nods and glances quickly at the tv before refocusing on him.

"How about we ditch the chick flicks and watch something with guns and real eye candy instead?" He asks cheekily, dodging his girlfriend's hand as Gwen swings out to playfully smack him.

They eventually settle on the first Avengers movie, and Merlin feels himself laughing along to his friend’s jokingly swooning over Scarlett Johansson. He was always more of a Thor fan himself. The movie passes quickly, and Lance jumps up to put on the second one, arguing that none of them have to work tomorrow, so it doesn't matter how late they stay up. Merlin is grateful for the distraction, and with Gwen and Lance’s help, manages to not think about Arthur even once the rest of the night.

It's not until he's in bed in their guest room, that he lets his thoughts wander back to his roommate. His text is still unread, and he's not entirely sure what to make of it. Arthur always has his phone with him. He stares up at the ceiling, mind running over every potential scenario, until he finally falls into a fitful sleep.

~~~

Bright sunlight filtering through the curtains wakes Arthur up the next morning. He groans and rubs a hand over his eyes. His head is aching, and his feet are cold where they're sticking out from under the blankets. He huffs a sigh and blindly reaches for his phone, wondering vaguely what time it is, but his phone isn't there. Peaking an eye open, he looks over at the desk beside his bed.

"Huh?" His head protests as he sits upright and looks around. He's still in his clothes from yesterday, and his phone is nowhere to be seen. A second later and the full events of the day before come rushing back, and he falls back onto the bed. He whines pitifully before forcing himself to get up. The sooner he calls Gwen back, or at least replies to her texts, the shorter her rant will be.

He makes a quick stop in the bathroom, then makes his way down the hall, mind only on coffee. He pulls up short when he looks into the living room though. There, on the sofa, is Merlin. He's sitting where he usually does, hands folded in his lap and eyes trained on Arthur’s phone sitting on the coffee table. _'So that's where I left it.'_

"Uh, hey, Merlin." He greets hesitantly. The other man jumps slightly before turning his head to look at Arthur.

"Hi, Arthur." He replies quietly. They both shift awkwardly.

"I was just about to put on some coffee. You want some?" Arthur asks, desperate for anything to stall the upcoming conversation. Merlin smiles slightly and nods.

"Yeah, coffee would be nice." He replies. Arthur nods and immediately ducks into the kitchen. He goes through the motions of putting coffee on to brew on autopilot. He has no idea what to say to Merlin. He knows he needs to apologize, but he doesn't even know where to start. He gets pulled from his thoughts by approaching footsteps.

"I guess I could've made coffee myself. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry." Merlin says from the entryway. Arthur looks over at him and shakes his head.

"Nah. It's okay. You have nothing to apologize for. Honestly, I'm the one who should be saying I'm sorry." Arthur says, eyes dropping to the floor at Merlin’s feet. "I'm sorry, Merlin. I overstepped a line yesterday that I shouldn't have. There are some things that are not my business, and what you do in your spare time, and who you spend time with, has nothing to do with me." When he finally looks up to meet Merlin’s eyes, he finds the other man smiling softly back at him.

"You're right, that is none of your business, but I wasn't lying when I told you that there is nothing going on between Gwaine and I. He is a very... physical being, and our friendship is no exception, but I can assure you that we have only ever been just friends. I have no intention of ever crossing that line with him." Merlin explains. Arthur silently takes in Merlin’s words and nods, once again letting his eyes fall to the linoleum.

"Well, I'm sorry that I assumed, anyway. And I'm sorry for starting our show without you. That wasn't cool of me, and I should've waited. I'll restart it with you, and promise not to spoil anything." Merlin breaks into a smile, making some of the tension in Arthur’s body ease away.

"Sounds fair to me." Merlin says. Arthur smiles for a moment before it drops from his face.

"How mad at me is Gwen?" Arthur ventures, not entirely sure that he wants to know. The woman can be quite scary when she holds a grudge. To his surprise, Merlin chuckles.

"I don't think she's mad at you, Arthur. I think she just thinks you're an idiot." He replies with a grin.

"What? Why?" He cries indignantly. Merlin merely raises an eyebrow.

"I think the coffee is done." He says in lieu of an answer. Arthur turns back to the coffee maker, and sure enough, the pot is full. He abandons the conversation to pull two mugs from the cupboard, and fills them both. He even pulls the cream and sugar out and mixes Merlin’s coffee exactly how he likes it. Merlin looks surprised as he takes the offered mug. Arthur shrugs like it's no big deal.

"Hey, I pay attention." He tries to defend himself. He slips past Merlin and carries his mug to the living room and takes a seat on the sofa. If he's going to have to have this conversation, he at least wants to be comfortable while doing so. When he looks back at Merlin, he finds him still hovering uncertainly in the entryway to the kitchen. When they make eye contact, Merlin ducks his head and blushes a little. Keeping his eyes down, he follows Arthur into the other room. When he sits down, he stays on the far side of the sofa and looks anything but comfortable.

"When did you come back?" Arthur asks softly. He's not even completely sure of what time is actually is.

"Early." Merlin replies. "Around six. I couldn't sleep well." He shrugs, looking down into his coffee. Arthur nods silently, and raises his own mug to his lips to take a sip. He can't help the contented sigh that escapes his throat. His cheeks redden as Merlin smiles softly at him.

Once again, silence surrounds them, and Arthur is trying to think of a way to break it. He desperately doesn't want to push Merlin away to Gwaine again. Not if he has a chance to make amends for his behaviour yesterday. Just when the silence is getting too stifling to bear, Merlin breaks it.

"I wasn't actually with Gwaine yesterday." He blurts out. Arthur turns a confused look his way.

"Huh?" He asks.

"I wasn't actually with Gwaine. I lied." Merlin repeats. He's staring intently at the expanse of couch between them.

"Why?" Arthur asks. "What were you doing instead?" Merlin looks up briefly to look Arthur in the eyes, but ultimately looks away again, this time toward the tv.

"I was at campus studying. It was such a nice day that I stayed outside by the fountain." Arthur frowns in confusion.

"If you had needed to study, why didn't you just say so? I could've found something else to do yesterday. You know I'm willing to work around your school schedule." Arthur says earnestly. Merlin shifts uncomfortably across from him, eyes still refusing to even look in his general direction.

"I know." He replies quietly. He seems to be struggling for words, so Arthur takes the moment to wrap his head around the fact that Merlin lied to him.

"Why would you lie in the first place?" He asks, voice nothing but a soft whisper. "Do you really think I would've gotten upset with you for wanting to study?" Merlin finally meets his eyes, face stricken.

"No, of course not." He denies, desperate for Arthur to believe that he meant every word.

"Then why lie?" Arthur pushes, simply just wanting an answer. Merlin frowns and looks away again.

"It's complicated." He mumbles bitterly. Arthur’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. He can feel another potential argument brewing, and he really wants to avoid it if he can.

"Complicated? What is so complicated that you feel the need to lie to me about it? Do you hate living here, is that the problem? Am I doing something to distract you from your schoolwork? Whatever it is, just tell me and we can fix it." Arthur let's burst out incredulously. He grew up with Morgana. Nothing can get more complicated than living with her when she first started university. She was a freakin' ticking time bomb on the best of days.

"It just is, Arthur." Merlin shoots back evasively. Arthur grits his teeth in frustration, trying desperately to keep his cool.

"Look, you probably know by now that I'm not the best at talking about problems." Arthur starts. Merlin snorts, earning him a half hearted glare. "That being said, I am for once going to take a page out of Gwen’s book, and say that we can't resolve anything unless we talk. You're the best roommate I've ever had here, and you're quickly becoming one of my best friends. I don't wanna lose you." He pleads, cheeks reddening at his own words. Merlin’s shoulders slump slightly.

"That's the problem, though." He says sadly. His expression mirrors his tone, and the whole image is like a knife to the heart for Arthur.

"What is?" He exclaims desperately. "Please, just tell me, Merlin." He begs, scooting slower to Merlin across the couch. Merlin shifts miserable eyes his way.

"I can't, don't you see? I'm not just becoming your best friend, okay? You're becoming mine. I don't want to ever risk losing that. I enjoy living here, and I enjoy spending time with you. I don't want to ever jeopardize that." His voice is firm, but sad. Arthur can't quite figure out what he means. Why would them talking ever put their friendship at risk? Weren't friends supposed to be there for each other, no matter what? Why was this time different?

"Merlin." He says. "I don't understand what you mean. Why would us simply having a friendly conversation ever jeopardize our friendship?" He holds his breath as he watches Merlin closely. He can see the internal struggle raging inside Merlin’s head, and he so desperately wants to be able to help. Reaching out, he rests his left hand over top of Merlin’s clenched and trembling ones. Merlin becomes still and looks up into Arthur’s blue eyes. Arthur’s flick between Merlin’s, trying to read whatever he could from the blue irises.

"Please tell me what's wrong, Merlin. I promise that I'm not going anywhere. You're not going to lose me. Not now, not ever." Arthur promises, voice as firm and unwavering as he can get it. Merlin studies his serious face for another moment before closing his eyes and hanging his head.

"That's where you're wrong." He says to his lap and their clasped hands. "Because I went and broke the only rule I had to live here peacefully." Arthur stares at him in confusion for a moment before Merlin’s words really sink in. He involuntarily pulls away in shock, eyes widening and mouth dropping open slightly.

"Oh." Is all he manages to say. "Really?" He splutters out, almost hysterically. Merlin nods mutely, keeping his eyes trained on his now solo hands clasped tightly together. Arthur stares at Merlin in absolute wonder, taking the chance to really take in the man's tousled bed-head and obviously rumpled and slept in t-shirt.

"I'm sorry, Arthur." He finally says. Arthur shakes his head vehemently.

"No." He says harshly, making the other man startle and look up. "Don't you ever apologize for that. It's out of your control. You can't help who you get feelings for." He finishes gently, eyes sparkling slightly.

"You're really not mad?" Merlin verifies. Arthur shakes his head as a grin breaks out across his face.

"No." He breathes. "God, no, Merlin. I could never be mad about that. Shit, it's the best news I've heard since Morgana first got accepted into school." He adds, eyes now embarrassingly starting to blur slightly with tears. Merlin’s face slowly melts into an overjoyed smile, and in that moment he's the most breathtakingly beautiful thing that Arthur has ever seen. His eyes drop down to Merlin’s lips, and he wants nothing more than to find out what they taste like, and how they feel finally pressed against his own, but he hesitates. He isn't sure what Merlin is ready for yet.

"How about some breakfast?" He asks instead. Merlin’s eyes sparkle with amusement, but he nods anyway. He knows that Arthur is only stalling because he's scared, even if Arthur himself isn't even aware of the fact.

"Breakfast sounds good." He agrees, already getting to his feet. A hand on his wrist stops him as he turns to head into the kitchen. When he turns to look at Arthur, he finds him blushing slightly. Leaning closer, he presses a quick kiss to Merlin’s cheek, then ducks his head bashfully and hurries past toward the kitchen. Merlin lets his fingers gently graze the spot on his cheek as he smiles softly.

When he steps into the kitchen after Arthur, he finds him already busy pulling the ingredients for French toast out of the fridge and various cupboards. He looks over his shoulder and grins.

"We kinda ran out of bacon yesterday, so this will have to do." He shrugs before going back to work. Merlin hums slightly.

"That’s fine, Arthur." He assures him. "Do you need any help?" Arthur looks over the counter for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, I think I got it." He says, already reaching for the flour to start on the dry ingredients. Merlin grins at his reply and approaches him from behind.

"Very well. I'll just wait here then." He murmurs into Arthur’s ear as he crowds into his space and wraps his arms snugly around Arthur’s waist. He can hear the blond’s breath hitch slightly as he hooks his chin over his shoulder.

"Uhm, o-okay." Arthur stumbles over his words, quickly becoming very flustered. Merlin chuckles, and Arthur can feel the vibrations radiating from Merlin’s chest into his back, and it makes his spine tingle pleasantly. He takes a deep breath to settle his nerves, and goes back to measuring out ingredients with shaky hands. He swears violently as Merlin nuzzles his nose against the bare skin of his neck and he almost drops the entire container of flour. Merlin was playing with him, to see how much of a reaction he could get. Well, two could play at that game.

Biting his lip to hold back his grin, Arthur squirms in Merlin’s arms as he reaches for another bowl to mix the wet ingredients, making sure to push his hips back against Merlin’s. He's rewarded with a soft groan in his ear. He almost snorts out a laugh, but manages to hold it back.

"You all good there, _Mer_ lin?" He asks cheekily, turning his head slightly to better see the man’s face hidden in his shoulder.

"Yes." Is the answer he gets. "But I would be better if breakfast hurried up. I would much rather be kissing you stupid right now." Arthur’s brain practically short circuits as Merlin’s blunt answer, and the calm voice in which it was spoken. His heart rate picks up significantly at the thought of finally kissing him.

"Why wait?" He asks breathlessly. "We’ve got all day." If his voice trembles slightly, he pretends not to notice.

That is apparently all the permission Merlin requires to let Arthur go, spin him around, and pin him back up against the counter. Arthur loses his breath as he looks up into Merlin’s dark eyes.

"Arthur." Merlin breathes, leaning closer ever so slightly.

"Yeah?" Arthur replies, body frozen.

"I need to hear you say it." Merlin says gently, eyes searching Arthur’s face

"Say what?" Arthur asks stupidly, brain no longer firing correctly.

"I need to hear you say that this is okay. That you want this. That this isn't going to ruin anything between us." Arthur pulls back enough to see all of Merlin’s face. Pulling his hands away from his arms, he gently cradles his face. He makes sure to make direct eye contact before replying.

"Merlin. This is way more than just okay." Arthur assures him, running his thumb slowly over his cheek bone. "I have wanted this ever since I first laid eyes on you. I knew the moment we were introduced that I was a goner." He smiles and ducks a little closer. "I promise this won't ruin anything. It will only make it better." He breathes, leaning forward to rest their foreheads together. Merlin lets out a shaky breath.

"Now," Arthur continues, "are you gonna kiss me, or what?" Merlin takes a moment to really collect himself before slowly pressing closer and kissing him. Arthur immediately relaxes into the embrace, hands sliding down around Merlin’s neck to pull him even closer. Merlin is hesitant to go to far, to scare Arthur away, so he keeps the kiss soft, and sweet, and innocent. He pulls away far too soon for Arthur’s liking, smiling shyly as their eyes meet. Arthur screws his face up into comical thought.

"That was nice." He comments. Merlin squints his eyes in confusion. That wasn't exactly the reaction he had been expecting or hoping for. “However," he adds with a cheeky grin, "I don't feel any less intelligent than I did before." He unwraps his arms from around Merlin’s neck and tangles his hands in his dark locks. Pulling Merlin closer, he growls in his ear, "Now kiss me like you mean it."

He doesn't give Merlin the chance to reply, merely pulls away just enough to slot their lips together again. He kisses Merlin with an intensity that leaves the poor man breathless and scrambling to catch up. When he does, however, Arthur is suitably surprised. Merlin always seemed like the shy, socially awkward, nerd. So where he learned to kiss like _that_? Arthur has no idea. He presses back against Arthur eagerly, hands finding their way under his shirt to press into his skin. He pushes him back demandingly, running his tongue across his lower lip. Arthur opens up obediently.

Merlin tilts his head at the perfect angle as he adds more pressure to the kiss. Arthur whines slightly as Merlin tongue tangles dominatingly with his own. He's not used to being manhandled like this, but he is definitely on board with it now.

Merlin gets a firmer grip on Arthur’s hips and lifts him, grunting with the effort of getting him high enough to sit on the counter. Arthur groans, heat spiking through his stomach as he opens his legs and Merlin crowds closer.

Merlin soon starts kissing down Arthur’s jaw, pausing to nip at his skin briefly, before making his way down Arthur’s neck. Without Merlin’s mouth there to muffle the sounds, Arthur’s whimpers, and groans, and heavy panting fill the small kitchen. A deep guttural groan leaves his lips as Merlin bites down on the patch of skin directly between his neck and shoulder.

"Shit, Merlin." He moans, head falling back to give him more space to work with. His hands run restlessly up and down Merlin’s back, pausing every now and then to tightly grip his shirt. Merlin hums in reply, licking over the now quickly bruising area. Arthur arches into the touch.

"Shit." Arthur breathes as Merlin pulls away. Their eyes meet and their gazes hold. Both of them are out of breath, and Arthur can barely think. "I think that did the trick." He adds with a laugh. Merlin grins, leaning forward to nuzzle their noses together.

"I was hoping it would. I would hate to disappoint you so early on in this relationship. Whatever this is." Merlin replies, still short of breath. He pulls back a bit to look behind Arthur. "I hope I didn't ruin breakfast." He adds on. Arthur pauses for a moment before bursting out laughing, leaning forward onto Merlin for support. Merlin backs away, pulling Arthur with him until he slides off the counter and lands on his feet. He stays attached to Merlin, arms around his shoulders and face buried in his neck for another moment longer before pulling away to assess the damage done.

Surprisingly, only the flour got knocked over, so Arthur quickly measures out new and picks up where he left off. Merlin resumes his spot behind him, arms around his waist and chin over his shoulder. Arthur starts softly humming as he cooks, swaying slightly with the unknown melody. Merlin sways with him, smile buried in Arthur’s shoulder.

He reluctantly pulls away when Arthur finishes, taking the plate of perfectly cooked French toast offered to him. He takes his usual spot at the table, immediately tangling their feet together once Arthur sits down.

"So, where do we go from here?" Arthur asks as he slowly cuts his French toast into bite size pieces. Merlin looks up from his plate to meet his eyes.

"Well, for starters," he says, "I would love to take you on a real date." Arthur looks down at his plate and blushes. "You should also contact Gwen. I'm sure she might be ready to kill you by now." He adds on thoughtfully. Arthur pales slightly.

"I thought you said she wasn't mad!" He exclaims. Merlin chuckles.

"She wasn't, but that was before you continued to ignore her." He informs Arthur. Arthur visibly gulps.

"And, uh, what do I tell her?" He asks, still looking at Merlin nervously. Merlin reaches out and takes his hand in his, intertwining their fingers until their palms are pressed together.

"You can tell her whatever you feel ready for." Merlin tells him gently. Arthur smiles and looks over his face thoughtfully. Eventually, he squeezes Merlin’s hand, eyes practically sparkling.

"With your permission, I’d kinda like to tell her that I've got myself a boyfriend." He replies, blushing slightly. Merlin feels himself break out into a large grin.

"I would like that." He says, before leaning over the table and pressing their lips together again. Before either of them can get too carried away, he pulls back. Arthur’s eyes are shining as he grins at Merlin, his heart doing somersaults when he sees the same expression mirrored back to him on Merlin’s face.

_Screw his stupid rule._

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to read the original Destiel version of this work, then [here it is](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23160196?view_full_work=true)!!


End file.
